Cheap Flight Training.

Scoot

Scoot

Filing Flight Plan
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Nov 4, 2012
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21
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Texas
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Display name:
Scoot
Hi,

I am 20 years old and I am wanting to learn how to fly. I live in Fort Worth Texas. I grew up around aviation and my dad and I live on a small private grass strip and we fly a Vans RV8. I just graduated high school and I work full time at Sonic. I have had a dream of getting my license my whole life and I need to get it done. I am wanting to get some flight instruction done with a private instructor. I am not a big fan of flight schools because they charge so much. If there is anyone in my area that can help me with my training and with a good price, I would really appreciate it. I have my medical done and I am ready to go. Please let me know if there is anyone available that might be able to help me achieve my lifetime goal.

-Scoot
 
Scoot, I don't know that there is such a thing as "Cheap" flight training but I'm sure there is "reasonable" flight training There are a few Texas CFIs here including Jeannie, Texas Tail Wheel and Jeez I'm horrible I can't recall if David White got his CFI. There are also enough pilots on this board from the DFW area that I'm sure they can give you come recommendations for an independent CFI.

Welcome to POA and best of luck!
 
You need to find an independent instructor with tailwheel and RV-8 experience..... that's probably going to be harder to find because most people fly Cessna 152/172 or Piper Warriors for initial flight training. Tell your dad to get his CFI. :lol: Maybe reach out to the RV type specific forums to see if there is anybody out there in your area... A decent instructor is probably going to run $30/hr ++ on the low end.
 
Do you plan on doing it in the rv8? Otherwise an option would be to buy a cheap C150 / 140 or Piper 140 and then sell it when you are done.
 
Welcome to PoA!!!

Join us over at www.dfwpilots.com/board and ask for the instructors based at Hicks. I can't recall the name, but others have good reports.

None the less, renting plane and instructor, expect a money burn rate of $125-$200 per hour depending on the situation. And a total budget in the neighborhood of $8000-$9000 to get it all done.
 
Thanks for the replys guys! I am not planning on doing int the RV8. My step dad is a pilot to and he is a CFI. He is willing to teach me in his cub but he doesn't have that much time to due to all of his traveling. I have a few flights logged and he signed my logbook. I had a friend that was a CFI and charged me $90 an hour until he moved. He was based out at Northwest Regional. I prefer hicks or any other airport. I do not want to go anywhere close to Northwest Regional due to the fact that alot of flying friends and I have many issues with people over there and the owner ran us off the airport. I do not want to go back there again. If anyone has any contacts, let me know. I am willing to learn in any airplane. If my step dad would let us use his cub, I would be able to provide the airplane.

Scoot
 
Is it a J-3 or Supercub?

Scoot said:
Thanks for the replys guys! I am not planning on doing int the RV8. My step dad is a pilot to and he is a CFI. He is willing to teach me in his cub but he doesn't have that much time to due to all of his traveling. I have a few flights logged and he signed my logbook. I had a friend that was a CFI and charged me $90 an hour until he moved. He was based out at Northwest Regional. I prefer hicks or any other airport. I do not want to go anywhere close to Northwest Regional due to the fact that alot of flying friends and I have many issues with people over there and the owner ran us off the airport. I do not want to go back there again. If anyone has any contacts, let me know. I am willing to learn in any airplane. If my step dad would let us use his cub, I would be able to provide the airplane.

Scoot
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You graduated high school at 20 years old? :dunno:

"I am 20 years old and I am wanting to learn how to fly. I live in Fort Worth Texas. I grew up around aviation and my dad and I live on a small private grass strip and we fly a Vans RV8. I just graduated high school..."
 
I get totally disheartened when what the guy really wants IS cheap.....
 
Interesting the comment about he and his friends, "run off the airport".

Maybe he does need some training. And a friend was charging $90per hour as an independent CFI? I hope that included fuel.
 
"Owner ran us off the airport"....hmmmm. Usually, pilots and flight training are the lifeblood of an airport yet he does not want "these guys". That could mean either of two things......

And cheap prolly means "uninsured" as insurance isn't cheap....
 
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I am just looking for some affordable flight training. I like i said, I graduated high school in June (When I was 19) and I just recently turned 20. I wouldnt mind paying $120 or so. All the flight schools charge ateast $200. I cannot afford that sadly. I work a minimum wage job. We just have some jerks on the airport (and I mean ALOT). There are some other reasons to.The owner is one of them. He has had a bad past with people. Before my friend moved, We flew his Cessna 150 for $90 and that included fuel. If I can find someone that might be able to teach me in my step dads J3 or so, I would really appreciate that.
 
Hey Scoot, you hit the nail on the head with using the cub for your training....I highly suggest it. You will be immersed in crosswind corrections right out of the gate as a tail dragger requires more attention to where the wind is during taxi, take off and landing, not that tricycle gear planes don't, I can tell a tail dragger pilot from the time he gets in the plane....good luck on your search!!:wink2:


Scoot said:
Thanks for the replys guys! I am not planning on doing int the RV8. My step dad is a pilot to and he is a CFI. He is willing to teach me in his cub but he doesn't have that much time to due to all of his traveling. I have a few flights logged and he signed my logbook. I had a friend that was a CFI and charged me $90 an hour until he moved. He was based out at Northwest Regional. I prefer hicks or any other airport. I do not want to go anywhere close to Northwest Regional due to the fact that alot of flying friends and I have many issues with people over there and the owner ran us off the airport. I do not want to go back there again. If anyone has any contacts, let me know. I am willing to learn in any airplane. If my step dad would let us use his cub, I would be able to provide the airplane.

Scoot
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Thanks! I have flown in tailwheels all my life. I only have 2hrs nose wheel time
 
Too bad you're not in FL...i would do that in a heartbeat. As others have said...being able to get your PPL in a tailwheel (and a cub at that) would be a great opportunity.
 
Scoot.. Give a call to Ryan Short at http://www.texastailwheel.com/ and see how he can help you.

Also check in with Gilbert Barth at MarcAir.

Finally, you mentioned you have a min wage job at age 20. I'll reserve commentary on that, but ask do you really have the budget and finances ready to undertake this endeavor? Do you have $6000 banked and marked for training? How are you set for life intervening? A lot of Dave Ramsey style questions here (debt free? 3-6 months of emergency fund in place?)

Min wage at 40 hrs is $1160/mo before taxes, say $900 take home. I'm struggling seeing a viable flying budget out of this once shelter, food, transport and fuel is paid for. Especially if you go for two lessons a week as many suggest.

But why should practicality trump anything?
 
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My dad wants me to get my license by April of next year.
 
so he's gonna help?
Find an old guy to teach you for the love of it in the J3 and for $30-40 an hour. You'll find someone :)
 
Scoot said:
Hi,

I am 20 years old and I am wanting to learn how to fly...

-Scoot
Click to expand...



Scoot,

If you try and save the money working at Sonic for your lessons, it can be done, but to be honest, you will not fly enough per week or per month to make economical progress. (Hey, not to be Debbie Downer, but this is reality.)

Now, almost every father, especially pilot fathers, want their sons and daughters to follow in their footsteps, especially when it comes to aviation. I would tap into that emotion and ask your dad if he will take out a home equity loan (tax deductible if Obama gets in and kiss it goodbye if Romney runs things, but I digress) to fund your flight lessons to the private and even instrument level. The later just to be 50% safer and 80% more confident. These are my subjective numbers, so don’t try and look them up.

You make the payments and your dad declares the deduction on his taxes. You can even suggest that the two of you split the cost of the loan and you can even hint (maybe true, maybe just a little white lie) that you are considering aviation a career and this can be your start.

I calculated that if you get your instrument and private it would cost 12,000.00. That amount at 6.25% interest for 5 years would cost 233.39 per month. If you just did your private and figure 9,000.00 at the same parameters, it would cost 175.04 per month. Your dad could deduct 517.67, in the first year, off his personal or business gross income. BTW, those amounts include your ground training kit and even a headset and a Garmin 396 GPS. Some of those things you might not need because your family might already have that stuff.

I would not do your private in the RV8. I would rent a 152 or 172 or similar training aircraft and then transition to the RV8 with a tailwheel endorsement and a checkout with type specific training once you have your license. You should learn to fly in a very stable, forgiving and slow moving aircraft. I'm sure you can fly the RV8 just fine, but standard wisdom would agree with me that a trainer is what you should start your private with.


Just my dos centavos.

BTW, I give free flight lessons. All my students have to do is rent the aircraft, but I’m in NJ.

Gene Wentzel – CFI, CFII
 
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If your parents were gracious enough to buy you a nice car.. sell it for flight training and buy a $1000 beater to drive.
 
A HELOC for flight training is crazy and a Garmin 396 is outdated and a waste of money. Kid should put some more effort into making money besides flipping burgers. I was making $12/hr doing entry level computer work at age 16 and that was in the late 1990s.
 
AggieMike88 said:
Welcome to PoA!!!

Join us over at www.dfwpilots.com/board and ask for the instructors based at Hicks. I can't recall the name, but others have good reports.

None the less, renting plane and instructor, expect a money burn rate of $125-$200 per hour depending on the situation. And a total budget in the neighborhood of $8000-$9000 to get it all done.
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Ho-le-crap!!! I can get OP a place to stay and PPL through IR for less than that! Cessna 150 WET with instructor $80/hr ($55 plane, $25 instructor). My PPL was 3K, he's only gone up $5/hr since then.
 
bartmc said:
Ho-le-crap!!! I can get OP a place to stay and PPL through IR for less than that! Cessna 150 WET with instructor $80/hr ($55 plane, $25 instructor). My PPL was 3K, he's only gone up $5/hr since then.
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Different market, Rusty.

For local rates around DFW, look at US Aviation Group at KDTO (and the US Flight Academy), MarcAir at 52F (who is now down one C172 as of Saturday and one top flight Chief CFI as of 6-weeks ago), American Flyers at KADS, and Monarch at KTKI.

There are some independents who are less known and teach out of their own aircraft, but they are very few and may not be geographically convenient to Scoot's location.
 
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bartmc said:
Ho-le-crap!!! I can get OP a place to stay and PPL through IR for less than that! Cessna 150 WET with instructor $80/hr ($55 plane, $25 instructor). My PPL was 3K, he's only gone up $5/hr since then.
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I don't see any way someone could rent an airworthy C150 for $55/hr that is insured for instruction. Unless they were operating all of it at a loss and didn't care.
 
jesse said:
I don't see any way someone could rent an airworthy C150 for $55/hr that is insured for instruction. Unless they were operating all of it at a loss and didn't care.
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Car gas and they are also the A&P-IA doing all the work for "free"? That's the only way.
 
jesse said:
I don't see any way someone could rent an airworthy C150 for $55/hr that is insured for instruction. Unless they were operating all of it at a loss and didn't care.
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He's owned it for 30 years been an ap/ia for longer than that, owns the FBO and he maintains his insurance providers airplane. He's probably breaking even on it. He instructs for fun, uses his ap/is to eat. It's probably one of the best maintained 150s out there.
 
I am wanting to see if my parents could pitch in. I have a friend who is a CFI and owns a RV8. He said he would be willing to do it for free. But it depends on his schedule. I hope this goes through. I'll pitch in some money just for his efforts.
 
PBristolJr said:
If your parents were gracious enough to buy you a nice car.. sell it for flight training and buy a $1000 beater to drive.
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I already drive a old car haha. I drive a 91 ford bronco which belonged to my grandfather. Probably work 2k but I will not be selling it.
 
Scoot said:
I am wanting to see if my parents could pitch in. I have a friend who is a CFI and owns a RV8. He said he would be willing to do it for free. But it depends on his schedule. I hope this goes through. I'll pitch in some money just for his efforts.
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Scoot,

I know it's been mentioned already, but I do teach quite a bit in Cubs and the like. I'm in the Central Texas area, but something COULD be worked out, especially if you had access to a dedicated aircraft. Give me a call if you want (the number is on my website) as I have a couple of other ideas for you as well as some things you'll want to watch out for.

Ryan
 
Good Grief!! And we wonder why we don't have more youth in aviation?

Kid comes on here motivated to fly, and with the exception of about five useful posts all he gets is flack. He gets heckled about his age of graduation, his crappy job, his father, and his financial situation.

Would you feel welcomed into aviation with that attitude?

Reminds me of myself. I sure as hell wasn't debt free when I started flying around his age. And I found the cheapest flight school around.
Probably the best investment I've ever made.

Plus, the best pilots learn the youngest.
 
infotango said:
Good Grief!! And we wonder why we don't have more youth in aviation?

Kid comes on here motivated to fly, and with the exception of about five useful posts all he gets is flack. He gets heckled about his age of graduation, his crappy job, his father, and his financial situation.

Would you feel welcomed into aviation with that attitude?

Reminds me of myself. I sure as hell wasn't debt free when I started flying around his age. And I found the cheapest flight school around.
Probably the best investment I've ever made.

Plus, the best pilots learn the youngest.
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This :yesnod:

I didn't know that you had to be 'Ramsey stage 6' before you are allowed to do something as financially reckless as flight training. I paid for my first rating with a paper route.
 
Thanks,

Atleast you see my point of view. I love to fly. I hate coming into a group and getting shot down by other people. I know I have a crappy job at the moment but I am saving every penny that I have for some flying lessons. I found a guy at my local airport that is willing to teach me how to fly at $188 an hour and that included fuel and the instructor. You cant beat that. And it is a really nice airplane to. It is a Socata Tobago. Again, thanks for backing me up on this. It's nice to find someone who understands.



infotango said:
Good Grief!! And we wonder why we don't have more youth in aviation?

Kid comes on here motivated to fly, and with the exception of about five useful posts all he gets is flack. He gets heckled about his age of graduation, his crappy job, his father, and his financial situation.

Would you feel welcomed into aviation with that attitude?

Reminds me of myself. I sure as hell wasn't debt free when I started flying around his age. And I found the cheapest flight school around.
Probably the best investment I've ever made.

Plus, the best pilots learn the youngest.
Click to expand...
 
Did you join dfwpilots.com? Did you follow up on the contacts there? Did you reach out to any private instructors? There are some in the DFW area who could instruct in the J3 and save you more money.

Please go there, ask questions. They have more local info than this board does. Good luck.
 
I sure did. I contacted Chris Pressley out at Hicks (T67)



QUOTE=docmirror;1038577]Did you join dfwpilots.com? Did you follow up on the contacts there? Did you reach out to any private instructors? There are some in the DFW area who could instruct in the J3 and save you more money.

Please go there, ask questions. They have more local info than this board does. Good luck.[/QUOTE]
 
Scoot said:
Thanks,

Atleast you see my point of view. I love to fly. I hate coming into a group and getting shot down by other people. I know I have a crappy job at the moment but I am saving every penny that I have for some flying lessons. I found a guy at my local airport that is willing to teach me how to fly at $188 an hour and that included fuel and the instructor. You cant beat that. And it is a really nice airplane to. It is a Socata Tobago. Again, thanks for backing me up on this. It's nice to find someone who understands.
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idk your area but $188 isn't like it's a screaming deal or anything. I can do it for $125/hr here including myself.
 
Scoot said:
Thanks,

Atleast you see my point of view. I love to fly. I hate coming into a group and getting shot down by other people. I know I have a crappy job at the moment but I am saving every penny that I have for some flying lessons. I found a guy at my local airport that is willing to teach me how to fly at $188 an hour and that included fuel and the instructor. You cant beat that. And it is a really nice airplane to. It is a Socata Tobago. Again, thanks for backing me up on this. It's nice to find someone who understands.
Click to expand...

If you can get your dad's cub you are two-thirds of the way there. With a graciously provided C-150 I taught my 18 yo son to fly in about five weeks for less than $1,500 out of pocket (including a couple of upgrades to the plane.) If you don't find a CFI here, check the NAFI website or talk to local FSDO for possible leads.

You CAN do this! Go for it.
 
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